Together Never Again (Lesbian story)

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Three
Haunting Refrain

After a beautiful night, I woke up to sobbing which I didn't expect. I sprung out of bed and found Emily laying on the floor crying, half dressed. I was still naked, but I held her close to me as she cried. After I had calmed her down, she said in between her sobs that her mom had only a few hours to live. I dressed then helped her calm down. 

How could something like this happen? Emily didn't deserve this. She deserved better than this. 

I, too, was choking back the news, desperate to calm her down. I couldn't bury both of us in sadness, not yet. We had to see her mother before it was too late. If we didn't, Em would never forgive me. I know she'd want to be there.

"We better get over there, Emily. You need to be there." I tried to convince her, watching her dress into a pair of jeans and her mother's college sweatshirt.

"I don't want to see my mom's life leave her eyes, Sarah. I can't." She mumbled, scrunching up her face as she attempted to cover her eyes. Her dark hair fell down her shoulders almost covering her face until she lifted her face to see mine.

Not letting her wallow any longer, I pulled her hands down with mine, "You have to say goodbye. You have to be there. I'll be there with you." I insisted, watching tears flow out again as tears dared to fall out of my own eyes. 

She stared back into my eyes, her brown eyes slowly losing their vulnerability, "The doctor was right." Emily closed her eyes then sniffled, raising her head back up to face me, more defiance if not weak courage, "Let's go."

 Once we were dressed, I grabbed my car keys and guided Em out behind me. As soon as we exited the building, there were reporters gathered around. Already shouting questions at us as we rushed into my car. I held her hand tightly as we ran, but some of them could catch up with us. They were asking questions like, "How does it feel to be the only people out in our town?" Or something like, "What made you guys fall in love?" With the obvious and most repeated question, "Who do you think would go after you young girls? Any inkling at all?" 

They were obviously looking for something to print. Luckily, I had slammed on the gas and drove toward the hospital just as Emily tried to say something.

We weren't but two minutes from the hospital and once we parked and walked toward the entrance, there were some that had just arrived already shouting at us again. Dragging Emily inside, she sniffled again wiping at her tears as we rushed into an elevator that had just opened.

Breathing in a deep breath, Emily looked over at me with a grim look in her eyes as she leaned her head on my shoulder, "We're almost to her, Em." I whispered kissing her eyebrow, the closest thing I could get.

The doors opened on the floor Em's mother was on, and Emily nearly raced out until she realized she was still holding my hand. Turning back to me, she furrowed her eyebrows and waited a moment to breathe calmly. Rubbing her arm, I nodded at her, and kissed her cheek as I led her to her mother's room. 

When we entered, her father was sitting in his same chair holding his wife's hand tenderly. There were tears in his eyes as he looked up at Em and I. Em's mom was awake and she turned her head to smile at us.

"Hey girls." She greeted weakly.

"Mom." Emily choked out rushing to her side, falling to her knees. I knelt down with her and began to choke up. I probably should have been praying, but I knew they weren't hugely religious. Instead, I let myself cry a little as Emily sobbed into the mattress, her hand in her mother's.

"Emily," She muttered, trying hard to squeeze Emily's hand, "Don't be sad. It's okay. You, too, darling." She swiveled her head back to Emily's dad as he tried to smile, but instead looked like he were in even worse pain.